Endless apron for feeding or other machines



(No Model.)

W. G. BRMVIWELL.v

BNDLBSS APRON POR PEBDING 0R lOTHER MMHINES. N0. 396,532. Patented Jan.22, 1889.

f Fiyi- UNITED STATES PATENT Trice.

VILLIAM CALVERT BRAMYELL, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

ENDLESS APRON FOR FEEDING R OTHER MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,532, dated January22, 1889. Application filed June 14, 1887. i Serial No. 241,317. (Nomodel.)

To [all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CALvnRT BRAMWELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hyde Park, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inEndless Aprons for Feeding or other Machines, of which the following isso full, clear, and exact a description as will enable Ioy othersskilled in the art to which my invention apperi'ains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurel. is atransverse section of a portion r 5 of my improved endless apronor carrier with a feeding pulley or roller. Fig. l is an end elevationof the same. Fig. is a perspective of the apron, showing more clearlythe forni of the slats and the connecting-links.

zo Fig. 4. is a top plan of a portion of the apron,

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the severaliigures.

The object of my invention is to construct an endless apron or carrierwhich will not 2 5 permit any wool or other fiber to pass through itbetween the slats; and to this end my invention consists in certainpeculiarities in cform of the edges of the slats and in making thejoints of the metal links coincide with the 3o edges of slats where theycome nearest together.

Another object of my invention is to construct a device capable ofgiving a positive motion to the apron, and which will form a rest forthe slats of the apron as they pass over or around the rolls or pulleys;and to this end it consists in forming recesses in the edges of theslats for the reception of teeth or projections formed upon theperiphery of the 4o driving rolls or shaft.

it consists in certain novel features of construction, as will behereinafter described,

and then more particularly pointed ont in the claims at the end of thespecification.

Referring to the drawings, A represents an 5o endless apron or carrierconstructed after the plan to be hereinafter described, and B representsa driving pulley or roll, of which any desired number may be used torotate the apron.

The endless apron A is composed of a number of slats or bars, C, thelongitudinal edges of which are cut slant-ing, as c. (Shown best inFigs. l and 2.) These slats are connected by links D, preferablyarranged as shown,-

and the ends of which are formed with heads d, for the reception of apin, E, passing from one link to another, as shown, and connecting themin such a manner that they will form hinges, allowing the slats to befolded, as will be readily seen. Obviously these links may be made ofany width or length, and they may be arranged in any desired mannerbut'l prefer to arrange them alternately, one between every two, thusforming a chain, holding the slats together. As many of these chains maybe used in forming the apron or carrier as desired; but I have foundfrom experience that three are sufficient for all purposes-one situatedat each end and one in the center.

Any suitable means for securing the links to the slats may be adoptedbut for ordinary aprons screws are preferably employed, as then any oneof the slats can be readily and easily removed, when desired, in orderto substitute anotherin case of an accident or for any other purpose. Aportion of the apron or carrier across which the link or chain extendsis recessed at e in such a manner that the joints of the metal linkswill coincide with the edges of the slats where they come nearesttogether, thus leaving the top of the apron a continuous surface, andleaving nospace for the passage of wool or other fiber through the apronbetween the slats, which so often occurs in aprons heretoforeconstructed. lVithin these recesses e teeth or projections b, formed onthe periphery of the driving rolls or pulleys, fit. These teeth orprojections b are made of a proper length to just fit within theserecesses, and they are situated a proper distance apart to allow theslats to rest upon the fiat surface of the roll, as shown in Figs. land2, which will obviously give a positive motion to the apron when thepulley or roll is revolved, and the lower surface of the slats will restupon the flat portion of the pulley between the teeth or projections b.

IOO

The apron may or inay not be provided with teeth or spurs f, projectingoutwardly to feed forward the wool or fiber.

l The manner of operating will be obvious. The apron A is Situated uponthe pulley Bin such a manner that each of the teeth l) of the pulleywill lit within the recess between each two slats, so that when thepulley is revolved it will rotate the apron, which will feed forward thewool or other liber.

The advantages of my device over those of like character will be readilycomprehended.

In aprons as heretofore constructed the slats were riveted to leatherstrips, which were liable to rot and stretch, ren dering' the apronuseless in a short time, and with the old style ,if aprons it has beennecessaryto cover the back of the slats with a sheet of sail-cloth orcotton-duck to prevent the wool or other Fibers passing between theslats. This has given considerable annoyance, cotton bers often gettinginto the wool and resulting' in specks in the manufactured cloih oryarn. Not only this, but it has been impossible to keep the wool orother liber from passing between the slats, particularly when the slatsturn over the rolls supporting the apron. At that point it has generallyhappened that said slats have opened apart, on account of the sharpangle they then described, allowing some of the fibers to pass betweenthem. On leaving the rolls and assuming a straight line the bers wouldbe held as in a vise, soon resulting in prying off or otherwisedisarranging the slats. Not only this, but the wool would oftentimes getentirely through the slats and would wind around the rolls, choking theapron and preventing its rotation. Obviously, such disadvantages asthese would not be experienced in a device constructed after the planhereinbefore set forth.

Having now described the construction, advantages, and operation of myinvention, what I believe to be new, and desire to secure by LeitersPatent, and what I therefore claim, 1s-

l. In an endless apron or carrier, the slats or bars and connectingmetal links and pins, said slats having recessed and beveled edges, forfthe purpose described, in combination with pulleys or rolls supportingsaid apron and having teeth or projections fitting in between saidslats, whereby a positive motion will be imparted to the apron by thepulleys.

2. An endless apron composed of slats or bars having beveled edges andformed with recesses e., in combination with links having their pivotalbearings situated within the recesses e.

3. An endless apron or carrier composed of the slats having bevelededges and formed with recesses e, in combination with a series of metallinks formed with heads and pins passing through the said heads, forminghinges at this point, situated within the recesses e, substantially asand 'for the purposes shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the above as my invention I hereunto set myhand and afIiX my seal in the presence of witnesses.

WILLIAM CALVERT BRAMWELL, [L s] lVitnesses:

F. W. HERRICK,

D. F. CRANE.

